Robert Moghim MD
Anchor Healthcare
Radial Neuropathy (Saturday Night Palsy)
1746876959
Radial Neuropathy, or "Saturday Night Palsy," happens when the radial nerve gets damaged or compressed. This nerve starts in the armpit and runs down the back of your arm to your hand, helping control movements like straightening your fingers and wrist, and sensing touch in parts of your hand.
If the radial nerve gets pressed or injured, you might notice weakness in your wrist or fingers, which can make it hard to grip things. You might also feel numbness or a tingling sensation in your hand or notice a sharp or aching pain.
This condition can happen if you accidentally fall asleep with your arm in a funny position, get injured around your arm, use crutches incorrectly, or put too much repetitive pressure on your arm. Health issues like diabetes or exposure to certain toxins can also cause nerve problems.
To treat radial neuropathy, you usually start with resting the arm and might need medications to ease the pain. Physical therapy can help build strength and flexibility. If the nerve damage is severe or doesn’t improve, surgery might be needed to relieve pressure on the nerve. For extreme cases and uncontrollable pain, peripheral nerve stimulation—an implantable device that delivers mild electrical pulses to targeted nerves—or spinal cord stimulation, which modulates pain signals before they reach the brain, may be considered long-term treatment options. Without treatment, the symptoms might become permanent, so it’s important to address it quickly!
FAQs
How is Radial Neuropathy treated?
Treatment typically starts with conservative methods like resting the arm and modifying activities to relieve pressure on the nerve. Physical therapy can help regain strength and flexibility. Pain relief medications such as NSAIDs and steroids might be used. In severe cases, surgical intervention to decompress the nerve or repair damage may be considered.
What are the common symptoms of Radial Neuropathy?
Common symptoms include weakness or inability to extend the wrist and fingers (known as "wrist drop"), difficulty in gripping objects, numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in the hand, particularly in the thumb, index, and middle fingers, as well as sharp or aching pain along the nerve.
What are the risks if Radial Neuropathy is left untreated?
If left untreated, Radial Neuropathy can lead to permanent issues such as chronic pain, muscle atrophy, and loss of function, potentially resulting in deformities like a claw hand. It is crucial to address the condition promptly to prevent these complications.
What causes Radial Neuropathy?
Causes of Radial Neuropathy include acute injuries such as fractures or blunt trauma, improper use of crutches leading to armpit pressure, prolonged pressure on the arm from sleeping in awkward positions, repetitive motions like hammering, and systemic conditions such as diabetes or exposure to toxins like lead.
What is Radial Neuropathy or Saturday Night Palsy?
Radial Neuropathy, also known as Saturday Night Palsy, occurs when the radial nerve, which runs from the armpit down the back of the arm to the hand, becomes compressed or damaged. This nerve controls movement and sensation in the wrist, fingers, and part of the hand.